….UNION: PAY UP, OR WE GO ON STRIKE
…..NPA: NO, WE CAN’T, WE’VE PAID ENOUGH
The hitherto well-managed face-off between the management of Nigerian Ports Authority, (NPA), and its workers snowballed into an open war of words last week as the two sides maintained their hard stand.
The alarm of an impending industrial action was first raised by the agency’s workers under the aegis of Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria, (MWUN), and the NPA branch of Senior Staff Association of Communications, Transport and Corporations, (SSACTAC), which gave a 14-day ultimatum to the management after which it would shut down all the nation’s seaports.
The two-page letter was jointly signed by president of MWUN, Tony Nted Emmanuel, his senior staff counterpart; Umar Jimoh, secretary general of MWUN, Aham Ubani and his senior staff counterpart; A.O Leoso.
The workers accused NPA management of failing “to implement the longstanding demands of the workers in spite of our continued appeals meetings…” even as they lamented that the posture of the management “has brought about frustration and palpable tension in the workplace”.
The letter which was dated March 29, 2010, and addressed to the managing director, Malam Abdu Salam Mohammed consequently gave the 14-day ultimatum.
Their demands include: implementation of agreed minimum wage standard for dockworkers, tally clerks and on-board security, payment of outstanding severance benefits to dockworkers, payment of gratuity to retired NPA workers, payment of monetisation arrears, payment of agreed years 2008 bonus and demand for new condition of service.
But in a swift reaction indicating the non-readiness of the management to acquiesce to the workers’ demands, the management, through a statement which was signed by its assistant general manger, public affairs, Mr Musa Ilya declared that it was not in a position to meet the workers demands.
Expressing surprise at the ultimatum given by he workers, NPA said that “all the grievances of the unions which informed the
issuance of the ultimatum have been subject of discussions between the unions and the management” .
It never-the-less disclosed that a meeting has been scheduled for April 6, 2010 between the management and the unions.
Claiming that it is already committing so much to the workers salary, it says that : “With the implementation of the enhanced salary structure and despite increasing cost of operational demands, the Authority currently has a monthly wage bill of about N2 billion”.
Acknowledging that NPA management was already in receipt of the contentious letter, Ilya stated that while NPA management was favourably disposed to dialoguing with the workers, its wage bill was already a burden.
The spokesman however recalled that “in July 2008, management received an approval from the Wages and Salaries Commission for the implementation of a new salary structure; based on the initiative of the management”, adding that the move resulted in the payment of “an enhanced salary and allowance in the organisation, consistent with the highest standard in the industry”.
He stressed that because of the payment of new salary structure, NPA currently has a monthly wage bill of about N2 billion, apart from increasing operational costs.
“Under the new salary structure, the least paid employee of the Authority (JSS II) average monthly take home pay is about N120, 000”, the statement added .
The statement also explained that the issue of implementation of minimum standard for dockworkers and tally clerks was already being handled by a management committee which also includes members of the two house unions, even as it appeared that NPA no longer believes that any dockworker is yet to be paid the statutory disengagement allowance.
“Management recalls that in its effort to cushion the effects of the reform in the Dock Labour sector about the sum of N2 billion was paid as settlement to disengaged dock workers”, the statement declared.
Other issues which the statement addressed include payment of gratuity to the agency’s retired workers. It said that negotiation is currently going on between NPA management and unions in line with the requirement of the Pension Reform Act with the aim of arriving at “an acceptable condition”.
But officials of the two house unions told Shipping Position Weekly that the outcome of the meeting will determine whether the strike will go on as planned or not.
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